IOC President attacks world leaders including David Cameron over Sochi boycott

IOC President Thomas Bach accuses world leaders of using the Sochi Winter
Olympics as a political platform "on the backs of the athletes,"
and of snubbing the games without even being invited

9:38PM GMT 04 Feb 2014

Three days before the opening of Russia's first Winter Games, Mr Bach used a hard-hitting speech to call out politicians for using the Olympics to make an "ostentatious gesture" serving their own agendas.

Without naming any individuals, Bach's comments appeared directed at David Cameron, US President Barack Obama and other European politicians who have taken stands against Russia's law banning gay "propaganda" among minors.

The Olympics, Mr Bach said, should not be "used as a stage for political dissent or for trying to score points in internal or external political contests."

"Have the courage to address your disagreements in a peaceful direct political dialogue and not on the backs of the athletes," he said at a ceremony attended by Russian President Vladimir Putin. "People have a very good understanding of what it really means to single out the Olympic Games to make an ostentatious gesture which allegedly costs nothing but produces international headlines.

"In the extreme, we had to see a few politicians whose contributions to the fight for a good cause consisted of publicly declining invitations they had not even received."

The buildup to the Olympics has been overshadowed by Western criticism of the anti-gay law and Russia's record on human rights and other issues, making Sochi among the most politically charged games in years.

Mr Cameron, President Obama and key European leaders are shunning the Olympics. Obama, in a clear message against the anti-gay laws, has sent a delegation to Sochi made up of three openly gay athletes - tennis great Billie Jean King, 2006 Olympic hockey medalist Caitlin Cahow and figure skater Brian Boitano.